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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643286">Flight | Tsukishima Kei x Reader</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/atetiffwrites/pseuds/atetiffwrites'>atetiffwrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Karasuno, Mentioned Ushijima Wakatoshi, Protective Karasuno Volleyball Club, Protective Tsukishima Kei, Protective Ushijima Wakatoshi, Reader-Insert, Shiratorizawa, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:08:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,338</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/atetiffwrites/pseuds/atetiffwrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED MY WORK SORRY-- Semi-haitus; will update inconsistently each month]</p><p>"The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings."<br/>― J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird</p><p>***</p><p>Being Ushijima Wakatoshi's little sister has its pros and cons; some say it's a blessing to share the same genes and skills as him but to Utsui [Name], she begs to differ. A powerful player like him comes with an overbearing shadow that she can't seem to escape from. She's always seen as the sister of Shiratorizawa's Ace. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less, until she decided to take a leap of faith and enrolled herself in Karasuno High School. There, her life takes a huge turn and soon enough, the little eagle that used to hide behind her older brother's wings is now a proud crow, taking flight.</p><p>***</p><p>I do not own any of these characters; Haikyuu and the characters involved are owned and created by Haruichi Furudate. The flow of this story may contain spoilers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsukishima Kei/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>166</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Disclaimer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Haikyuu!!" characters are owned by Haruichi Furudate.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p><b>All rights reserved.</b> No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p>This is a work of fiction. Name, place, events, are fictitious.</p><p>***</p><p>Minor spoilers ahead. You have been warned.</p><p>***</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Flight" by ate tiff writes (2020)</p><p>Photo by amy chung from Pexels; Edited by Me</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Author's Note!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THIS KFNKFKSLNK IM SO SORRY I HOPE Y'ALL STILL MANAGED TO FIND THIS NSDKCNKASNKN ILYSM</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Heya! It's me! Just a little update about my life and my story ❤️</p><p>First of all, thank you so much guys for all the love and support for this book. I made this out of the blue and I didn't expect that someone would like the plot (and my writing 🥺👉 👈). This book has tons of potential and it really makes me happy to see that people appreciate it. Second is that this book WILL BE UNDER EDITING. Before you guys react, please hear me out 🥺👉👈</p><p>I really like this book BUT I left out so much details without even realizing. I was too focused on making major events happen (especially the Tsukki x reader relationship) and I suddenly feel like the flow isn't as natural as I wanted it to be. I'll redo most of the chapters and a lot of things can changed (and be removed/replaced to a different chapter) but DO NOT FRET! I'll still upload and not leave this book hanging. I know how it feels to read a suddenly discontinued book.</p><p>Last but not the least, my update schedule will change 🥺👉👈 Right now, I'm taking up online classes and as an art student, my schedule eats up most of my time. My classes stretches out from 9 in the morning to 7 in the evening with small breaks in betweens. My assignments/artworks take time to work on too so most of the time I end up typing my chapters when I'm sleepy/tired from school or just rushing myself to meet the "deadline". With that said, my updates will be done every two weeks from now. I'll post updates on Flight every Friday (I'll post one next week, though so the new update sched begins there) but the word count per chapter will be 2,000+ words. I hope you guys don't mind the sudden change 😭</p><p>Again, thank you so much and I love you guys. Thank you for all the love and support. Till the next update!</p><p>—ate tiff</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. First Day of School</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HEY! HEY! HEY!</p>
<p>Like I've announced, Flight is being under editing which means all chapters are unpublished for the mean time. I'll update every two weeks, on a Friday (in Philippine Standard Time—yes, I'm from there.), with each chapter being 2,000+ words. I'll put some notes on every chapter (not counted in the 2000+ words) about the changes I've put so that readers won't get confused when backtracking/rereading the edited version.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wakatoshi Ushijima has quite a reputation; He's the captain and ace of Shiratorizawa's male volleyball team, the number one ace in Miyagi Prefecture, and one of Japan's top three aces. He's also known for being brutal in competitions, beating Aobajohsai for three consecutive years with his unblockable spikes, and maintaining their spot for competing in the nationals. His reputation doesn't come close to his father, Takashi Utsui, who is a National volleyball player in the past but it was enough to overshadow his little sister, [Name].</p>
<p>[Name] Utsui is an upcoming freshman in Karasuno High School. She's compliant and reserved just like her father and shared little to no resemblance to Shiratorizawa's Ace. Her [Hair Color] locks and [Eye Color] orbs contrast against Wakatoshi's olive green ones. Their built are different from each other which affects both their gameplay and position in volleyball—[Name] having a smaller but lean frame, while Wakatoshi is the opposite. If seen together, the two don't look like siblings at all and the only similar trait they share is that they're both left-handed. Because of this, nobody knew who she was until she showed up in one of Wakatoshi's Inter-High games with their father and announced her stay in Japan.</p>
<p>"It was the first time I saw Wakatoshi-kun smile." Coach Tanji grumbles, his gaze lands on their team's ace as [Name] sits beside him. The two are watching Shiratorizawa's male volleyball team practicing in the school's gym. "He was very worried that you'll stay overseas, with your dad."</p>
<p>"Onii-chan has always been worried about me." A small smile forms on the girl's lips as she chuckles. "I remember him visiting me every weekend when I was living with our dad. He and I would train volleyball from time to time and he'd panic whenever I try to receive his spikes. He's afraid I might break a bone or two."</p>
<p>"That's Wakatoshi-kun, for you. He rarely talks and expresses himself but if he does, it's in his own way." He points to the olive-haired male who's doing rounds, practicing his spike. "As of now, I can see he's frustrated that you chose a different high school in our Prefecture. Karasuno is a bit far from Shiratorizawa, don't you think?"</p>
<p>"I'm fine with that." [Name] hums. "If anything, I don't mind being far from Onii-chan once in a while. It gives me time to think about what I want to do in life aside from being the little sister of one of Japan's top aces."</p>
<p>The coach nods in agreement. He picks up the whistle that dangles on his neck and gives it a strong blow. The players in the court pause." Let's pack up. Tomorrow is your first day of school. All of you need to rest."</p>
<p>"Hai!" The team yells before proceeding to their stretches. Coach Tanji stands up and motions the young girl to follow him. "You're a smart girl, [Name]-chan. If I was your brother, I would be disappointed in your decision since it's a reckless one. You could've built up your own career beside Wakatoshi and not away from him. Still, it's your call; I would be lying I say I don't prefer you joining us. You're an excellent setter, you know." He heads to the team's bench and hands her the water bottles. "For now, can you refill these for me? I'm not letting you stay in my gym just because you're Wakatoshi's sister."</p>
<p>"I know, Washijō-Sensei." [Name] gives a small bow before excusing herself to refill the water bottles. As she does so, a certain redhead walks her way.</p>
<p>"[Name]-chan~!" Satori coos as he wraps his arms around the girl. "I missed you!"</p>
<p>"Hello to you too, Tendō-senpai." She greets, returning the hug for a short period of time.</p>
<p>"Wakatoshi told me you're going to Karasuno High School." He pouts. "Do you not like it here? We have sorts of fun things in Shiratorizawa."</p>
<p>"I do." [Name] looks down on her feet as she lies. "I just want to annoy Onii-chan so I enrolled there. He'll probably keep me on guard for the whole year if I stayed here."</p>
<p>"Tendō" Wakatoshi calls out in his usual monotone voice.</p>
<p>"Speaking of the Devil," Satori muses and waves. "Heya Wakatoshi-kun."</p>
<p>"Kindly remove your hands on my little sister," He comments.</p>
<p>"Onii-chan, it's <em>fine</em>." [Name] huffs and removes Satori's arm around her.</p>
<p>"You shouldn't be dating your seniors, " He adds as he approaches the two.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, Wakatoshi-kun." Satori raises his arms in defense. "[Name]-chan is like a little sister to me. I wouldn't do that to you."</p>
<p>Wakatoshi nods before offering his hand. "I'll help you carry those bottles."</p>
<p>"I'm fine, Onii-chan," [Name] assures. "Go do your stretches so you and I can go home."</p>
<p>"Fine. Let me show you where the water fountain is first," He replies, not budging at all, making the young girl sighs in defeat. "Let's go. Tendō, you can go ahead and start your stretches."</p>
<p>"Alright. Bye, bye, [Name]-chan~!" Satori bids good-bye as he marches away.</p>
<p>A huff escapes Wakatoshi's lips but his little sister beats him to it. "I'm not flirting with anyone, Onii-chan. I know that boys don't deserve me because I have a big tough brother who would whoop their asses if they do anything to me."</p>
<p>"Good," He replies, taking a step forward. He motions for them to walk. "The water fountain is over there."</p>
<p>[Name] nods as she follows her brother. She already knows where the water fountains are― since she's been in their campus for a lot of times―but her brother won't stop on insisting unless she gives in. As she holds out the bottles to pour in the drinks, Wakatoshi places his hand on her head. "Tomorrow's your first day in school. Would you be okay being in Karasuno?"</p>
<p>"I would be fine, Onii-chan. Everyone knows that I'm your sister and no one would mess with me because of it." Again, she looks down on her feet. "Stop worrying, okay?"</p>
<p>He nods, satisfied with his little sister's response. He excuses himself before heading back to the gym to do his stretches. A soft hum escapes the girl's lips. She's finally alone with her thoughts.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>"Onii-chan, I told you, I'm fine!" [Name] huffs as she tries to push her brother on the back, trying to shove him away as they near Karasuno's school gates. Despite her protests, Wakatoshi still insisted on walking her to school as for him, it's "a brotherly thing to do."</p>
<p>"I just want to make sure you get to school safely." The tall, olive-haired boy says with his casual tone lacing with a hint of concern. His eyes fixated at the pouting girl. "I won't be able to do it all the time too since I'll be staying at the dorms."</p>
<p>"I know," She stops on her track and sighs. A faint blush evident on her cheeks, embarrassed. "I'll be fine, okay? You don't need to worry about me that much. I'm all grown up."</p>
<p>"Fine." The corner of his lips curls into a small smile at the thought. He pats her head, feeling happy at her embarrassed state. "I'll pick you up after class, then?"</p>
<p>"I'll just head over to your school after class. You still have volleyball training, remember? Washijō-sensei would scold you if you sneak out to pick me up."</p>
<p>Wakatoshi nods in satisfaction. "Alright then. Have a safe trip to school, okay?"</p>
<p>"My school is literally in the corner." She rolls her eyes pointing at Karasuno's gates, earning another gentle pat on her head.</p>
<p>"I know." He stretches his arms and legs, readying himself for his morning jog. His white and purple jersey swings and folds accordingly, while the name "Shiratorizawa" stays in place.</p>
<p>At these kinds of times, [Name] can't help but feel small beside her brother. Wakatoshi's overpowering presence can easily be noticed by anyone; his well-built physique, unreadable expressions, and aura he gives off just scream out power and dominance. Almost everyone automatically feels intimidated at the sight of him, and in all honesty, if she wasn't related to him she'll feel the same thing too. Of course, In her case right now, what she feels is far from intimidation. She may feel small compared to him, but that's all it is―a comparison. She isn't intimidated one bit. No. She's overshadowed. No matter what does, her brother's name and reputation find themselves linked to her. If she gets into the honor roll? It's expected of her. Wakatoshi didn't get into Shiratorizawa just by volleyball skills alone. She's good at sports? Duh. She's Takashi Utsui's daughter and Wakatoshi's sister. Sports is in her blood. She easily gets along with people? <em>Obviously. </em>Who wouldn't want to be friends with the sister of one of Japan's top three (cute) aces? Still, she didn't like the idea. After everything that happened in the past, she doubts that she'll ever want to be called Wakatoshi's sister ever again.</p>
<p>A soft sigh escapes the girl's lips at the thought, feeling a bit guilty and heartbroken. She never wanted to create a gap between her and her brother but for her own sake, she has to. She knows its a selfish thing to do, but she wants to be a different person. No, scratch that, she <em>is </em>a different person and she wants people to realize that.</p>
<p>"Alright then," Wakatoshi grunts as he let out a final stretch. "I'll leave you be, [Name]. Enjoy your first day of school."</p>
<p>"You too, Onii-chan. See you later." [Name] watches as her brother waves as he jogs away. She returns the gesture before facing her school's direction. She takes a deep breath. '<em>Karasuno High, here I come</em>.'</p>
<p>Striding through the school gates, her girl's [Eye Color] orbs widen at the the fresh sight. The school's surroundings and it's overall feel gives her an unfamiliar warmth and comfort, making her feel more confident on her decision<em>.' Maybe this is a good choice after all.'</em></p>
<p>[Name] hums as she heads to the school's locker room to change shoes. Her eyes scans through the aisles, looking for a spot to place her shoes in. The locker room is still a bit spacious, considering the time she arrived—since she woke up extra early in an attempt to not be escorted by her brother and failed—so she picked the same spot where she always put her shoes in. As she removes the said piece of footwear, her eyes widen in surprise to see her spot already being vacated. Her mouth opens agape to gawk at the student in from of her who seems to be unfazed by his action.</p>
<p>A tall, blond, student pushes his glasses to the bridge of his nose as he closes his now owned shoe locker. A bored expression lays on his face as his white headphones cancels out all the noises in his surroundings—including [Name]'s huffs. Before the young girl could protest, the said spot-stealer has already walked pass her with green-haired boy tailing after him.</p>
<p>"Hey, Tsukki wait up." She hears the scurrying boy call out to his friend who's leaving him behind before vanishing from her sight.</p>
<p>A sigh escapes [Name]'s lips before settling with the spot next to the place she wanted and put her shoes in. She wears her indoor shoes afterwards, before heading to her classroom, Class 1-4. As she reaches the said room, she finds herself nervous like never before. Her hands tremble a bit as she grips onto the strap of her bag to find a little sense of comfort. Knocking on the door three times, the young girl gathers all her courage to walk in and greet the students inside a cheerful 'good morning'.</p>
<p>"G-Good morning!" She stutters as she recognizes the only two familiar figures inside her classroom. It's the green-haired boy and his blond friend. "Tsukki!" [Name] squeaks in surprise before covering her mouth in realization. "Err, I mean... Good morning?"</p>
<p>Kei raises a brow in question. "Do I know you?"</p>
<p>"N-No!" She flushed in embarrassment. "I just heard your friend say it and—" She pauses as the blond didn't to hear her concerns and puts on his headphones again. "Nevermind then."</p>
<p>A sweat drops on her forehead as she mentally curses herself at the awkward encounter. She sits herself at the farthest chair she can find to escape from her embarrassment. '<em>Great way to start your first day, huh?' </em>She grumbles at the thought, burying her face on the palm of her hands. '<em>I'm such a dumbass.'</em></p>
<p>[Name] lets out a groan before hearing a soft, gentle voice beside her. She looks up.</p>
<p>"Hey." Tadashi scratches the back of his head as he greets the embarrassed looking [Hair Color]-haired girl.</p>
<p>"Hey..." She drags the 'ey', not knowing what to reply.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry about earlier." The green-haired boy gives a sheepish smile. "Tsukki isn't really the friendly type, plus, he doesn't like it when other people call him that."</p>
<p>"Oh?" She blinks a few times. "Oh! Yeah, it's my fault anyway. I shouldn't be screaming out people's names in surprise."</p>
<p>"It's fine. I'm Tadashi Yamaguchi, by the way." He stretches out his hand for her to shake. His head turns towards Kei's direction. "My friend over there is Tsukishima. I call him Tsukki."</p>
<p>"[Name] Utsui." She accepts the handshake. "You can call me [Name]. Utsui sounds too formal for me. Also, I'm really sorry for calling your friend like that."</p>
<p>"Alright then, [Name]-chan. It's nice to meet you." He gives a toothy grin as he points toward where he and Kei are seated to. "Anyway, I know Tsukki doesn't mind but do you want to sit next to us? I'm sure it'll clear out the awkward moment we had earlier and it's really lovely to sit here all alone, don't you think?"</p>
<p>"Yeah..." [Name] admits shyly. "Are you sure Tsukishima-kun doesn't mind?"</p>
<p>Tadashi nods. The young girl then takes her bag and approaches Kei. "Hey—"</p>
<p>"Go away," Kei scoffs.</p>
<p>"Okay then." She grumbles before taking the seat in front of the blond. As she props her bag down and attempts to sit down, the blond boy decided to pull the chair backward with his feet and causes the girl to fall on her butt.</p>
<p>"[Name]-chan!" Tadashi jumps to his feet to help the girl before facing his best friend. "Tsukki that's mean!"</p>
<p>Kei only shrugs as he watches [Name] stand up. A mischievous smile forms on his lips as she glares at him. The fire in her eyes seems to pique his interest.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Volleyball Club</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Really?" A huff escapes [Name]'s lips as she crosses her arms in distaste. Kei had just taken her lunch box from her and raised it above his head-to which, of course, she can't reach.</p><p>"You're really making me jump, huh Tsukishima-kun?" She asks, looking up at her blond classmate's smirking face.</p><p>"I could lower you bento if you want me to, chibi-chan, but the scowl on your face makes me think otherwise," Kei says, raising the said item higher.</p><p>"Tsukki, stop bullying [Name]-chan. It's just the first day." Tadashi complains as he too tries to reach the bento in his friend's hand.</p><p>On the contrary, [Name] didn't mind playing games with Kei, especially after the little stunt he did to her that morning. After making her fall on her seat, she oddly felt her awkwardness and nervousness fade away. Now, her usual strong personality is in charge and is willing to beat the shit out of her annoying classmate.</p><p>"Go ahead, chibi-chan, get it." Kei lowers the bento to taunt the girl. She didn't budge at all so he decided to bring it back up. "I gave you the advantage but I guess you really don't want to get your bento back."</p><p>"Oh, I will." [Name] sneers as she jumps a bit, warming up her body. "Ready to eat your words, Tsukishima-kun?"</p><p>The blond boy snickers while Tadashi watches in defeat. There's no point stopping the two of you. He had already tried so many times, in so many events, in a span of a few hours. '<em>It's just lunchtime...'</em> He groans, initially growing tired of both of his friends' antics.</p><p>"Whatever you say, chibi-cha-" Kei stops on his track as his eyes widen in shock. In a split second, [Name] jumps. The height of her leap matches with his reach and without him realizing, she swoops her lunch box out of his grasp and holds it into her arms.</p><p>"Eat that, Tsukishima-kun!" She points at him in victory before pulling out her tongue to mock him. Again, the fire in her eyes sparks bright. A wide grin lays on her face.</p><p>"That's so cool, [Name]-chan!" Tadashi gushes at the girl. "Where did you learn to jump like that?"</p><p>The [Hair Color]-haired girl scratches the back of head in response. '<em>How should I explain this...'</em></p><p>"Lucky shot, I guess?" She looks down on her feet as she chuckles nervously. "I've been known to jump high when I was a kid. I guess I still have that charm in me."</p><p>"That's so cool! Right Tsukki?" The blond frowns as the two glance at him. The nervousness the girl feels doubles at the sight of the tall boy's distaste. She knows that kind of look and she hates it. She had seen it numerous times from now; the disgust written all over their faces as they discover her secret. It's like in a flash, their image of her morphs into this idea that she's nothing more than the girl version of her brother.</p><p>Of course, [Name] refuses to believe in it. '<em>It's too fast</em>.' She argues. '<em>Tsukishima-kun couldn't have noticed easily, unless...'</em> She feels herself freeze at the thought. Could it be? Kei knew her secret all this time?</p><p>The young girl didn't have the chance to think further as she sees her two classmates start to walk away.</p><p>"Let's go, Yamaguchi." Kei motions for them to leave. Tadashi gives him a confused look but follows as he walks away.</p><p>"W-Wait Tsukki." He tries to call out but his friend had already stormed off.</p><p>In an instant, [Name] feels her chest tighten as her green-haired friend gives an apologetic bow and leaves, leaving her behind. They were supposed to eat lunch together but then again, she knows that this kind of situation was bound to happen. Being ignored is one of the few things that comes after whenever her secret is revealed.</p><p>A long withdrawn sigh escapes her lips. 'I guess I just have to get used to it.'</p><p>The young girl then decides to head out to the schoolyards to eat her lunch. Students most likely won't be spending their lunch break there and she's more than happy to avoid the crowd. Settling at a small spot near the school gym, she takes a seat and opens the bento her brother had made for her. She smiles. As she happily munches her meal, she didn't notice a pair of bickering boys being kicked out of the gym. Their banters quickly changed into pleads as they beg for the other students to let them in.</p><p>"Please! I'm willing to work with him." [Name] perks up as she hears a familiar voice. Her gaze immediately lands on the dark-haired boy who just shoved the tangerine boy beside him.</p><p>The smile on her lips fades at the sight of Tobio. In an instant, she packs up her lunch and heads back to her room, hoping that the boy in question won't take notice of her. Her plan immediately fails though, as a volleyball finds its way towards her face. Before anyone could react, [Name]'s instincts kick in, and blocks the speeding ball with her arms covering her face. The volleyball flies high with the impact, a loud thud resonates from it.</p><p>Everyone's eyes now land on [Name]. The reaction in their faces is mixed with awe and concern as they watch her trying to scurry away as if nothing happened. Immediately, Shōyō runs toward her.</p><p>"T-That was so cool!" The cheerful tangerine gushes. "How did you manage to block that? Are you a volleyball player too? I haven't seen anyone block a ball that quick! Did you learn it from somewhere else?"</p><p>"I..." The young girl scratches the back of her head in response. "I need to go. I have classes soon. I'll answer your questions at another time..."</p><p>"Shōyō! I'm Shōyō Hinata." He beams.</p><p>"It's a pleasure meeting you Hinata-kun, but I really need to go back to class." She waves off before rushing inside. She didn't spare Shōyō a second glance nor the familiar dark-haired boy behind him. Tobio shows a confused expression as the girl vanishes from their sight.</p><p>-</p><p>As the school day ends, [Name] quickly packs her bag and scurries out the door. She didn't bother to say good-bye to Tadashi (who apologized multiple times for leaving her behind) and leaves their school building without another word.</p><p>Today has been...upsetting, to say the least. She thought she'll have a peaceful first day of school but no, things have to take an unexpected turn. She made friends, lose them, and managed to get the attention of another student and a person from her past in a span of one lunch break.</p><p>'<em>Ugh, this had gotten way harder than I thought it would</em>.' She mentally groans, trying to rethink her strategy. '<em>I should just transfer back to Shiratorizawa if that's the case...'</em></p><p>Her brows furrow in deep thought as she walks out of school. She didn't even notice the ginger-haired boy running towards her up until he waves his hand in front of her face. [Name] blinks and jumps in surprise.</p><p>"Hinata-kun!" She gasps. "I didn't see you there."</p><p>"It's fine, err..." Shōyō scratches the back of his head. "I forgot to ask your name."</p><p>"It's [Name]," She replies.</p><p>"Oh! Nice to meet you [Name]-chan!" He smiles. "Are you going home already?"</p><p>"Yeah..." She looks down on her feet.</p><p>"Oh..."</p><p>"Is there something you want to talk about before I go?"</p><p>"Ah yeah!" He perks up and smiles. "You didn't answer my questions earlier but I think you'll be a really good volleyball player! You have some quick instincts like-whoosh!" Shōyō waves his arms around at the gesture. "I bet if you join the volleyball club, they'll make you a starter player in an instant."</p><p>"I'm planning to join the volleyball club soon but I had a fight with Kageyama. He's really good at volleyball. People even call him King of the Court!" [Name] flinches at the nickname but the tangerine didn't seem to notice. "I'll beat him though. I just need to train more a bit. They say I suck at receiving and all that but I can jump really high-just like the little giant!" He pauses. "Oh. I must've said too much."</p><p>His bright, shy laughter somehow causes [Name]'s mood to shift. The optimism the boy has is enough to ease her worries. "Ne, Hinata-kun."</p><p>"Hai?"</p><p>"I can teach you how to do receives if you want to. I can even set for you so you can be just like the little giant."</p><p>"Really?" Shōyō smiles brightly, like the ball of sunshine that he is. "Thank you so much [Name]-chan!"</p><p>"No worries, Hinata-kun. Although, I can't train with you after class. I have somewhere to be at this hour." She pulls out her phone and gives it to him. "Let's exchange e-mails so I can contact you anytime for training."</p><p>"Really? Thank you!" He gushes before taking out his phone.</p><p>After exchanging numbers, the two students part ways. Shōyō heads back to the gym to annoy the volleyball club to accepting his form, while [Name] goes straight to her brother's school.</p><p>Upon entering the gates of Shiratorizawa, the young girl receives a fair amount of stares from the students. They're either curious as to why an outsider is within school grounds or why the sister of their very own Ushiwaka is attending a different school. Still, it didn't stop her from marching inside the school's gym.</p><p>"Pardon my intrusion." [Name] bows as she enters, exchanging her shoes in the process.</p><p>"Welcome back," The team greets in unison while doing their warm-ups. She gives them a wave before proceeding to the benches where Coach Tanji and Coach Akira resides. She gives them a polite bow.</p><p>"[Name]-chan, welcome." The younger coach greets. "How's your first day of school?"</p><p>"It was fine." She takes a seat, eyeing the elder coach who isn't satisfied with her answer. "I haven't taken interest in any clubs though, let alone volleyball, but aside from that nothing happened that can pique your interest."</p><p>"You're wasting your talent," Coach Tanji states blatantly. "With that height and power of yours, you can easily dominate the volleyball scene just like your brother."</p><p>"Just like my brother..." She lets out a bitter chuckle at the thought.</p><p>He scoffs. He knows how much the girl dislikes the sentence but it's the truth. For him, she holds so much potential in volleyball. She's a skilled setter and her spikes can easily match Wakatoshi's. Its been proven over and over during her matches in middle school and it would be a shame now to not have her participate. "I won't say I told you so but use your potential wisely-as Wakatoshi's sister or not."</p><p>[Name] lights up at the coach's words. "I will, Sensei. Thank you."</p><p>"Good." He scowls. A vein appears in his forehead. "Now stop moping around and get to work! I work hard to sneak you in here just for you to slack off!"</p><p>"H-Hai!" She let out a squeak before scurrying towards the club room. The team laughs at their manager's flustered form but is easily cut off by their coach's whistle.</p><p>Coach Akira claps his hand. "While we wait for [Name]-chan to get the application forms for the club, kindly line up and introduce yourselves one by one."</p><p>Tsutomu's eyes sparkle in delight as he stands in front of the team he has been idolizing for years. He can't help but smile as Wakatoshi-his main inspiration to be an ace-takes a step forward and lead the introductions. One by one, each member states their name, year, and position. Tsutomu notes all the information in his mind up until the last member of the team steps forward.</p><p>Wearing the Shiratorizawa's managerial uniform, [Name] bows. "My name is [Name] Utsui, freshmen, and the team's manager. Nice to meet all of you!"</p><p>Tsutomu feels his cheek burst into flames as the girl smiles. He suddenly lost his voice when she calls up his name. "Tsutomu Goshiki, please step forward."</p><p>"Hai!" He shouts, shocking everyone in the gym.</p><p>[Name] chuckles before motioning the boy to introduce himself. She continues this process one by one with all the applicants up until the list on her hand reaches the end. "Alright then, please proceed to warm up, and then we'll match you guys for a practice match to see your skills."</p><p>"Yosh!" The new applicants cheer as they proceed to do what they're tasked with. The seniors and sophomores, on the other hand, help their manager set up the gym for the said match. Of course, they saw this as the opportunity to tease the girl about the freshmen's reaction towards her.</p><p>"That loud freshman with the weird bangs seems to like you, [Name]-chan." Kenjirō comments as he carries the training bibs in his hand.</p><p>[Name] rolls her eyes as she walks beside him. She's carrying the team's water bottles in her arms as she comments. "Says the guy with titled bangs, Shirabu-san."</p><p>"Hey, you cut these." He defends.</p><p>"I <em>fixed</em> them." She pulls out her tongue. "It was Tendou-senpai who cut them first."</p><p>"He said he was good at cutting bangs!"</p><p>"I never said such thing, Shirabu," Satori pipes in as he slides along the court with the mop.</p><p>"Yes you did," Eita adds, holding his own mop.</p><p>"Let me get that, [Name]." Wakatoshi approaches his sister. "You should warm-up."</p><p>"Eh?" [Name] tilts her head, confused. "I'm not playing."</p><p>"Yes you are," He replies. "Coach is benching me and you'll take my place as the ace."</p><p>"Oh? What's this?" Satori muses. "Washijō-sensei wants to scare off our little freshies?"</p><p>"Well, Coach has been doing it for two years now and it's not bad to continue the tradition," Eita says.</p><p>The team nods in agreement, making their manager pout. "You guys are bullies."</p><p>Coach Tanji frowns as he watches intensely at his team exchange banters. They're supposed to be preparing for the match, not play games with their manager. Still, he lets them be. He knows that [Name] needs supportive peers to push her volleyball career and his team could easily fill up the role. The young girl also needs opportunities to open up for her and their club is willing to provide that.</p><p>Loud thuds resonate through the gym as [Name] dribbles the volleyball on the ground. Every hit causes the freshmen to watch her with awe, fear, or curiosity. Tsutomu watches immensely at the girl, wondering why is she the one to serve. As the coach blows the whistle, the boy easily finds his answer: [Name]'s service is just as fast and powerful and Wakatoshi's.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Titles & Reputations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the practice match, the volleyball team does its cool down exercises. Laying down on the gym's cold floor, [Name] stretches her limbs and let out a soft whine. "I'm so tired."</p><p>"You did well, though," Wakatoshi says as squats down to offer her a water bottle. She gladly accepts and sits up in the process. "Half of the team's score was from your spikes. Your receives are getting better too."</p><p>"Thanks, Onii-chan." She gives a small smile, eyeing the water bottle in her hand. "I wasn't able to set though."</p><p>"That's because it's Shirabu's job. Yours is to be the ace."</p><p>The young girl shrugs before chugging down the cold, refreshing drink. Her eyes shy away from her brother's immense stare as she senses his next words. "You should try playing volleyball again, [Name]. We both know you'll be excellent at it."</p><p>Again, she shrugs. "I do play. I just don't want to get mixed up in your field, you know? Volleyball is your thing, not mine."</p><p>"Isn't volleyball everyone's '<em>thing</em>'?" He furrows his brows, trying to remember if he had claimed the said sport, only to receive a light chuckle for his sister's mouth.</p><p>"Nevermind," She says as she stands up. "I'll go change. Can you ask the members to line up for me so I can get their measurements for their jerseys?"</p><p>[Name] smiles as she sees her brother nod. She gives him an appreciative nod before jogging back to their club room to change. Since she didn't plan on playing today, she didn't prepare any spare clothes, and thus, she reenters the gym with her black uniform.</p><p>Tsutomu watches her stride towards them with his mouth agape, surprised. "You're not from here?" He gasps before quickly covering his mouth for letting his thoughts slip. A blush covers his cheeks, embarrassed at his own outburst. "Sorry!"</p><p>"Nice one, bowl-cut kid," Kenjirō snickers, earning a scolding slap on the arm by their team manager.</p><p>"Shut it, Shirabu-san." She grumbles before facing the still embarrassed boy. "But yeah," She scratches the back of her head. "I'm not from here but I hope you'd still see me as part of the team."</p><p>"O-Of course. " Tsutomu bows, the tint of his red cheeks going a shade darker.</p><p>The young girl chuckles. "Anyway, I'll just be taking your measurements for the team's jersey then all of you can head home afterward. Is that okay?"</p><p>"Hai!" The team replies, making her chuckle once more.</p><p>One by one, [Name] then jolts down the information down on her clipboard, receiving various 'thanks' and 'goodbyes' from her teammates in the process. Most of the team already left by the time she finishes her task and the only one left in the gym by then is her brother, Satori, Kenjirō, and Tsutomu.</p><p>"Ne, [Name]-chan, isn't bowl-cut guy staring at you way too much?" Satori slings his shoulder over her and points his bandaged finger at the boy in question. "Do you think he got a chance?"</p><p>"Tendō, hands-off." Wakatoshi intercepts and his teammate follows before facing his sister. "But I do agree that he seems to be interested in you. Maybe he will be a good partner for you, [Name]."</p><p>"Ugh, Onii-chan, not you too!" She huffs. "I thought you're not the type to tease me about these things."</p><p>"But I am not teasing you," He counters.</p><p>"See [Name]-chan? Wakatoshi-kun gave you his blessing." Satori teases.</p><p>"That's the thing! He's not supposed to do that. He's usually the type to cockblock, you know?" The young girl crosses her arms before calling Kenjirō for help. "Shirabu-san, give me a hand here."</p><p>"I have no say on what my seniors think, [Name]-chan." The sophomore shrugs.</p><p>She pouts. "I hate you all."</p><p>"No, you don't." The three replies in unison.</p><p>[Name] glares at them before storming off towards her remaining teammate who seems to be watching their banter from afar. Without thinking twice, she grabs his wrist and declares,"Goshiki and I are leaving! You three are in charge of locking up as punishment!" before dragging the poor, innocent boy, outside. She didn't notice his pure red face up until they reached the school's gates, where she let go of his wrist and faces him. "I'm super sorry I had to drag you out like that it's just—Hey, are you okay?"</p><p>"Y-Yeah!" He squeaks.</p><p>"Are you sure?" She places her hand in his forehead, making him blush even more (if it's even possible). "Your face is a bit warm. Are you sure you don't have a fever?"</p><p>"I'm fine—really!" He tries his best not to faint.</p><p>"Okay then." She withdraws her hand before fiddling her fingers nervously. "I'm really sorry about my brother and his teammates, by the way. They aren't the type to tease each other but I guess it's their habit to annoy me every now and then and they got you involved too."</p><p>"It's fine, [Name]-chan, err... I mean, if I can call you that." Tsutomu scratches the back of his head, a bit shy.</p><p>"Oh! Of course." She smiles, causing the boy's heart to do a flip in his chest. "I hope you don't mind me calling you Goshiki."</p><p>"Of course not, [Name]-chan." He gleams. "I don't mind their teasing too."</p><p>"I'm glad." A sigh of relief leaves her lips. "Well, since it's all sorted out, I'll go take my leave then."</p><p>Taking a step back, the young girl turns her heels to leave but Tsutomu panics and grabs her arm in response. He immediately let's go of his grip upon realizing what he did. "Everything okay, Goshiki?" She asks.</p><p>He hesitates. "Yeah, it's just, uhm... You're leaving?"</p><p>"Yeah. I'm not a student here, remember?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah." He pauses for a while, debating whether or not to walk her home. "Can I—"</p><p>"[Name], wait up!" Wakatoshi jogs up to the two, making the younger ace to feel a bit inferior towards him. A sense of panic lingers in Tsutomu's mind as he notes his senior's endearment towards their manager—completely ignoring the fact that the two are siblings.</p><p>"What do you want, Onii-chan?" [Name] raises a brow while the boy beside her stare with wide eyes.</p><p>"You two are siblings?!" He screams in surprise, completely disregarding all the judgment he had just thought of and immediately feels embarrassed about it. Without waiting for either of the two to comment, the black-haired boy just bows before he excuses himself, and leaves, leaving the two behind.</p><p>"That was weird," The girl can't help but mumble before her gaze lands on her brother's stoic expression. She plants her hand on her hips before she huffs. "Are you done teasing now?"</p><p>"I wasn't teasing you," Wakatoshi replies. "I do think he's—"</p><p>"Shush!" She presses a finger on his lip to stop him from continuing. "First of all, it's weird to hear that from you especially when all my life you're either saying 'no boys are allowed to date you' or completely cock blocking me by saying 'you should stop flirting with boys like him'. Second, I barely know the guy and you're giving him false hope by doing that."</p><p>"I apologize." He says. "He's an excellent player for the team and I thought he would make an excellent partner as well."</p><p>"Shouldn't I be the one to decide that?" She pouts.</p><p>"You're right. I'll buy you ice cream on the way home to express my apology."</p><p>"Does that mean you'll carry me home too?"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p><br/>
A wide smile lays on [Name]'s lips as she rides on her brother's back with her favorite ice in hand. Wakatoshi had always done this sort of gesture whenever they would banter; it's his way of telling her that no matter how many times they argue or make fun of each other, she is still his little sister and he always has her back.</p><p>"So, how's your first day of school?" Wakatoshi glance over his shoulder as he asks.</p><p>"Nothing interesting happened." She hums, taking a bite of her cold snack in the process. "How about you?"</p><p>"I could say the same," He replies before adding a more detailed explanation to support his statement, which ends up answering the initial question, making the girl laugh.</p><p>The two continue to talk as they head home, passing by numerous houses and buildings in the process. When they Karasuno High though, Wakatoshi inquires about her decision in changing schools. He understood her initial reason to "expand" her circle, he just didn't understand why he chose that school in particular. There were other powerhouses to choose from, so why choose a school with a faded reputation?</p><p>"I don't know," [Name] answers. Her chin now rests on his shoulder. "Something about this school just feels right to me." She hums, remembering all the schools she considered transferring to. "Maybe because it's far away? Like, I can cut classes without you knowing." She giggles. "I'm joking! Don't tell mom I said that."</p><p>"But yeah, something about Karasuno High just sticks to me. I feel like I'm meant to be here than be by your side, you know?" A low chuckle escapes her lips as she feels her brother frown. She knows all he wanted was to be by her side and yet, here she is, completely disassociating herself from him." I mean, I'm a big girl now and this big girl needs to face things on her own, right? It's not like I can stay as your little sister forever. Eventually, you'll graduate and have a wonderful career in volleyball, and I can't always be by your side by then. I need to grow up on my own too... "</p><p>A sigh escapes her lips as she trails off. She no longer knows anymore if she's trying to convince her brother or herself with her words.</p><p>Wakatoshi furrows his brows." I don't understand. You'll always be my sister no matter what happens. "</p><p>"I know, Onii-chan," She chuckles. A tinge of pain lingering in her chest As the phrase repeats itself over and over her head. "I'll always be your little sister."</p><p>As they arrive home, their mother welcomes them for dinner. The three of them then eat together while conversing about how their day went. Of course, Wakatoshi mentioned Tsutomu in the conversation.</p><p>"Oh?" Their mother raises a brow. "I thought we made it <em>clear </em>that [Name] won't be dating anyone until college, Wakatoshi. Why the sudden change of heart?"</p><p>"[Name] isn't interested in dating but I do think he makes an excellent partner for her." The olive-haired boy reasons.</p><p>"Onii-chan, I already told you that I'm not interested." [Name] frowns. Now that her brother mentioned a boy in front of their mother, things will get a bit more difficult on her end.</p><p>"She's right, Wakaotshi. A young girl like her shouldn't be prioritizing boys who dedicate their lives to a sport." Their mother sighs. "She needs to focus on her studies and get herself a boy with a future. Maybe our little [Name] can fulfill the family's tradition too." She then strokes the young girl's hair. "Afterall, she never disappointed me."</p><p>Frowning, the [Hair color]-haired girl excuses herself from the table and heads to her room. She jumps to her bed and screams her frustration on her pillow. The tight feeling in her chest doesn't fade away no matter how much she tries to get rid of it. Instead, her emotions continue to grow until it builds up tears on the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill, any time from now. She always hated this kind of feeling; the feeling of continuously trying to meet everyone's rising expectations of her and being unable to go against it. It's a restricting and suffocating feeling that she eventually learned to keep control up until its too much—just like now.</p><p>A shaky sigh escapes her lips as she tries to calm herself down. Closing her eyes shut, she slowly counts one to ten, only to be interrupted by her phone's loud ringing. She immediately scoops it out of her bed and answers the call in fear that her brother or mother would pry.</p><p>"Hello, [Name]-chan?" [Name] perks up at the voice of her ginger-haired friend.</p><p>"Hey Hinata-kun," She greets. "What's up?"</p><p>"Uhm, I just want to call and say thank you for offering to train with me earlier. I tried out for the volleyball club as I said and well..." Shōyō scratches the back of his head. "They denied my application."</p><p>"Eh? Why?"</p><p>"I... kind of picked up a fight Kageyama and ended up getting scolded by the captain." He sighs but perks up immediately. "But! He gave us a chance to join <em>if, </em>and <em>only</em> if, he and I worked together as a team and win the three on three battles with him and the two freshmen."</p><p>"That doesn't sound so bad." The girl turns on her bed, shifting her phone to the other ear. "They still gave you a chance."</p><p>"Yeah but he's really scary. I don't think he'd set for me. If anything, we just might fight during our practices." Shōyō remains silent for a while. "Can you train with us? He might learn a thing or two from you."</p><p>"Alright." She smiles. "When will your next practice be?"</p><p>"Tomorrow morning."</p><p>"I'll be there." She vows, making the boy on the other line gasp in awe.</p><p>"You're the best, [Name]-chan! See you tomorrow! Good night!" He drops the call before she can bid the same greeting.</p><p>By morning, [Name] realizes her mistake; She forgot to ask Shōyō what time they'll be training and where, so here she is, in front of the school gates, at five in the morning. She yawns but a sudden sound interrupts her action. Her ears perk up.</p><p>"UWAAAAAAAH!" Shōyō's voice resonates as two approaching figures rush towards her. The young girl squints her eyes to figure out who the two are and jumps in realization.</p><p>"I arrive first!" The two exclaims as they stand before her. Both their hands lay on their hips.</p><p>"I actually got here first," [Name] chuckles as her eyes land on Shōyō. "You forgot to tell me what time training was."</p><p>"Oh no, I'm sorry [Name]-chan!" He exclaims and bows.</p><p>"[Name]-chan...?" Her eyes shift to the familiar boy that stands beside Shōyō and stiffens as she realizes who he is.</p><p>She gawks. "Kageyama Tobio, Oikawa's junior."</p><p>"Eh?" Shōyō tilts his head in confusion. "You know each other, [Name]-chan?"</p><p>"Utsui [Name]. " Tobio suddenly bows. "I didn't know you're studying here. I'm honored."</p><p>"H-Hey." She urges him to stand up straight. "No need for formalities. [Name] is fine."</p><p>"Kageyama." He replies, still surprised. "So, you're training with us?"</p><p>[Name] pulls out a volleyball she stole from her brother and smiles. "You bet!"</p><p>Hours pass by and the three—now five, after being accompanied by Ryunosuke and Kōshi—calls the practice off as classes are about to start soon.</p><p>"So, [Name]-chan," Tobio pipes in as he walks her to her room since Shōyō, Ryunosuke, and Kōshi, ended up leaving them behind. "Why Karasuno?"</p><p>"I needed a break from Onii-chan," She confesses. "I know you'll understand me when I say that I'm more than what the title people gave me."</p><p>"Of course. Being called "King of the Court" really ticks me off and I know you feel the same if they called you "Ushijima's little sister"."</p><p>"Exactly." She nods. "That's why I'm going to ask you a favor." He raises his brow. "Please don't mention to anyone that I'm his sister. So far, no one seems to notice it but if the word gets out..."</p><p>"I understand. No special treatments."</p><p>"Thank you, Kageyama. I really owe you one." She stops in her tracks as she notices the room number. "This is my class. I'll see you whenever?"</p><p>"Of course." He replies before giving a small bow. "I'll go to my class then. See you, [Name]-chan."</p><p>Giving a small wave at Tobio's retreating form, she enters her classroom.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Little Habits</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: mentions of insecurity and troubling thoughts</p><p>Also, in this chapter I focused on Tsukki's side more, I hope you don't mind</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Watching [Name] and Tobio outside their classroom door, leaves a bitter taste in Kei's mouth. There's something about the two that causes his stomach to churn and leave an unpleasant frown on his lips and he doesn't understand why. Sure, he equally despises the two for his own valid reasons but still, seeing them together feels like a different kind of hate forming inside him and it's making him uneasy.</p><p>He fiddles his long, slim fingers as his mind lingers at the thought, trying his best to overcome the bubbling insecurity creating havoc in his chest.</p><p>Kei always hated people like them; Useless hot-blooded people like Tobio and cold-harsh liars like [Name] doesn't have a spot in his life. He wouldn't allow it. No, he doesn't deserve it. He doesn't deserve to have this continuous bugging inside his head, telling him that he isn't worth the truth and-</p><p>"Tsukki?" His eyes snap open as Tadashi's soft voice pulled him out of his spiraling trance. He releases the grip on his hands that he didn't know he was holding so tightly. Kei let out a small sigh and straightens his seat before responding to his best friend.</p><p>"Yeah?" His tone harsh, as usual.</p><p>"Do you think [Name]-chan is mad at us?" He asks as his green orbs follow the girl's approaching form.</p><p>"I don't know and I don't care," Kei huffs before putting his headphones on and not bothering to entertain Tadashi's concern further. Instead, he props his chin on the palm of his hand and waits for [Name] to take her seat so he can annoy her for the rest of the day. It's a habit of his that he can't shake off. A coping mechanism that always helps him with his worries. To his disappointment and utter shock though, the girl in question walks past him and takes a seat on the other side of the room. She didn't even spare him or his friend a glance and it straight up pisses him off.</p><p>The glares he's sending are easily noticed by the girl in question but [Name] couldn't care less. She's still affected by the emotional strain yesterday and the morning training didn't' help her mood quite as much. She admits, she had fun while training with them; Shōyō's bright personality definitely distracted her from the heavy feeling on her chest while Tobio's silent support gave her the freedom she needed. Not to mention Kōshi and Ryūnosuke's compliments on her play made her feel so much better. Still, all of those are temporary; The light and carefree feeling she had felt is now long gone and the heavy feeling is slowly sinking in.</p><p>'<em>Focus.' </em>She takes a deep breath in an attempt to clear her mind, '<em>you can't be distracted from all of these. You're better than that.</em>'</p><p>She repeats the words over and over in an attempt to convince herself but the way her hands shake only proves her frustrations. Her brows furrow as she continues her chant with further concentration and didn't notice her particular blond classmate observing her form. The little habits of hers are easy for him to read and given her situation right now, he understands what was going on. As their school bell rings, she manages to pull herself together and Kei immediately discovers a different side of her. '<em>Maybe she's not that bad after all.'</em></p><p>As their class starts, Kei continues to observe his [Hair Color]-haired classmate. His golden-brown orbs would glance at her every now and then, and sometimes, he would stare when she's upfront, answering something on the board. He even chuckled softly when [Name] attempts to answer a math problem on her tippy toes because their teacher had written it way up high. For him, it was an amusing sight and he'll definitely tease her about it once they eat lunch but he never got the chance.</p><p>When he approaches her, [Name] immediately stands up from her seat with her bag on her shoulder and walks past him for the second time today. The corner of his lips turns into a frown as he sees Tobio and Shōyō, bantering while they wait for her.</p><p>"Hinata-kun! Kageyama!" [Name] stops at the door as she greets the two. "What are you two doing here?"</p><p>"Let's eat lunch together!" Shōyō answers. His signature grin plastered on his face.</p><p>"<em>Boke</em>, don't ask her so bluntly!" Tobio retorts. "[Name] might have other plans, you know!"</p><p>"Oh, sorry [Name]-chan...but, do you want to sit with us at lunch? Maybe practice a few spikes?"</p><p>"Well, er..." Before [Name] can reply, Kei steps beside her. Tadashi right behind him.</p><p>"<em>Ne, </em>Yamaguchi, aren't these two the people we're supposed to have a match with this Saturday?" He smirks, eyeing the duo with pride oozing from his aura. His best friend snickers.</p><p>"Y-You're our match?" Shōyō gasps. "S-So tall!"</p><p>"Eh? Shouldn't volleyball players be tall?" He leans in to mock the tangerine. "Why did they let a small fry like you join in?"</p><p>"Also," He adds, tongue clicking as his eyes meet with Tobio's. "Isn't unfair to have a tyrant king like you--"</p><p>"I dare you to finish that sentence, Tsukishima." [Name] cuts in with a sharp tone. "I fucking dare you."</p><p>"Oh?" Kei raises a brow, curious, and surprised at the girl's reaction. " What are you going to do about it? Tell your big brother?"</p><p>"Why you-!"</p><p>In a swift motion, [Name] shoves Kei against the wall. Her hand is holding tightly onto his uniform, wrinkling it a bit. "<em>Look</em>." She hisses. "I don't know what your problem is but leave me <em>and </em>my friends alone. We're nothing like you think we are and if your brain is too small to comprehend that maybe Yamaguchi-kun can spell it out for you, asshole." She clicks her tongue as she let go of her grip. "C'mon, let's go." She grumbles as she grabs Tobio and Shōyō by the wrist and drags them away.</p><p>Kei only stares as he watches the trio walk away. An unnecessary feeling bubbles in his chest as he frowns.</p><p>The sound of volleyball hitting the cold, gym floor drums against [Name]'s ear as she dribbles the said item on her hand. She, Tobio, and Shōyō decided to practice during their break at the gym and borrowed a ball in the process. The school bell has just rung and her two friends head back to their class as she stays behind. She has no intention of going back to class, after all.</p><p>What happened at lunch earlier is a complete shock to her. She had never been aggressive towards anyone who revealed her secret like that. She would just always brush it off whenever someone would mock her and her brother but today is a different case: Kei had mocked her <em>friend</em>.</p><p>"What an asshole," She snarls, hitting the volleyball one more time before taking a deep breath and making a serve. The sight of hitting a service ace causes her to feel content despite her still unpleasant feeling.</p><p>Playing volleyball had always helped her clear her mind; it distracts her from certain thoughts or feeling certain emotions, at the same time, it gives her time to think and reflect on everything that concerns her. It's just what setters do. They think, observe, and adapt accordingly to the match's flow and do their best to turn the tables. Now is no exception.</p><p>Jogging to the other side of the court, [Name] picks up the ball and twirls it on the fingertips. There's still a fuming feeling inside her that urges her to throw the ball against Kei's annoying face. Maybe she will, if given the chance, but for now, she'll just release her emotions out on a simple game of volleyball.</p><p>Hours passed by and the school bell rings once again. It's time for [Name] to take that as a sign for her to leave their school's gym and attend Shiratorizawa's.</p><p>Putting back the ball she borrowed, she casually throws her bag over her shoulder and leaves the facility. To her surprise though, she crosses path with Kei and Tadashi. The two stops in their tracks at the sight of their classmate but the girl didn't bother to spare them a glance.</p><p>"[Name]-chan, wait-" Tadashi calls out but a spine chilling glare from her stops him from doing so.</p><p>"Don't, Yamaguchi-kun." She snarls. "We both know you're not supposed to be the one to approach me." She glances at Kei who is avoiding eye contact with her. "I guess you didn't spell it out to him, huh?"</p><p>"Look, [Name]-chan..." A sigh escapes the freckled boy's lips.</p><p>"Shut up, Yamaguchi." Kei places a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Liars like her don't deserve an explanation. Let's go."</p><p>"What did you just call me?" [Name] hisses.</p><p>"A liar." He looks at her with disgust. "Don't pretend as it surprises you. You make it <em>so </em>fucking obvious that I'm sure that you don't care that people catch on."</p><p>"I'm not a liar!" She argues but her voice cracks in the process. Her throat feels dry and her chest is heavy from every word that escapes from Kei's mouth. "You don't know me that much to understand."</p><p>"No shit Sherlock. No one will bother to understand you if you're lying straight up to their face."</p><p>Just like that, Kei turns his heel and leaves her behind. Tadashi stares at the girl's shocked form before tailing after his best friend. A nagging feeling tells him that what his friend had said is too much, despite it being the truth.</p><p>The two do admit, they noticed [Name]'s little habit of looking on her feet when she's asked a certain set of questions. To be specific, anything that relates to volleyball seems to put the girl into an uncomfortable state. At first, they speculated that she just isn't that into the sport but after seeing her jump, they knew it was the other way around. It was easy to put two and two together after they searched her name and volleyball in one sentence. Articles popped up here and there and eventually the secret she holds dear is out in the open for them to read—she's Ushijima's little sister and a skilled volleyball player.</p><p>Of course, the news shocked them but more or less, they're confused by it. Why would someone like you hide something like this?</p><p>Normally, people would boast about their achievements. They would plaster it on everyone's face if they wanted to. But no, [Name] decided to keep it a secret as if she's ashamed of it.</p><p>What for? She probably worked hard to earn a record that is equal to her brother's. So why?</p><p>They never understood why and maybe after what they just did, they'll never understand it ever again. But somehow, Tadashi has hope. He had a hunch about what's troubling her base on the way she reacted to Kei's remark on Tobio. Maybe she has a grudge about people's reputation? Who knows. He'll just ask Kei about his thoughts about it after practice.</p><hr/><p>By the time [Name] arrives at Shiratorizawa, the whole team is already doing their drills. She didn't bother greeting them as she heads straight to the club room to change her clothes and get her equipment. Silently, she does her managerial duties, not bothering to spare anyone a single glance or even crack a smile for them as they greet her—not even her own brother.</p><p>Of course, Wakatoshi remains silent with his worries but actions have always spoken louder than words; His whole gameplay is a mess and Coach Tanji isn't having any of it.</p><p>"[Name]-chan! I don't know what's wrong with you today but you better fix yourself or else your brother's play won't get any better!" He shouts, making the whole team flinch.</p><p>[Name] didn't seem to react at first but as her giggles fill the air, the team feels more comfortable." Hai, Hai, Sensei! " She smiles for the first time today and somehow, everyone is more pumped than usual.</p><p>It didn't take long for Wakatoshi to adjust and his gameplay improved immensely afterward. He keeps on scoring consecutive points and as the match finishes, Satori wraps his arms around their manager and complains.</p><p>"[Name]-chan, Wakatoshi is too powerful for us. Help us out here." He pouts, playing with her hair in the process.</p><p>"What do you expect her to do? Spike against his brother?" Eita comments as he slumps beside the girl, wiping his sweat.</p><p>[Name] chuckles in response. She hands the ash-blond a water bottle, earning a 'thanks' in response before eyeing her brother at the court. He's still talking to Kenjirō and other members of the team. "Semi-nii is right though, I have no help to offer to any of you."</p><p>"Hm, fair point." Satori hums before poking the girl's side.</p><p>"Hey!" She squeaks.</p><p>"You know, we can always offer some help if you need one." He props his chin on the palm of his hand as the girl raises a brow in question. "We can see that you're troubled, [Name]-chan. You're a very open book and it's obvious when you're not feeling like yourself. You're lucky that Wakatoshi-kun doesn't notice it that much unless it's really obvious or else he's always on your tail."</p><p>"I'm that readable?" She asks with a heavy heart. Kei's words are still piercing through her skin and hearing it from someone close, the pain just doubles.</p><p>"A bit," Eita confirms. "It's not a bad thing though. It's just easier for us to take care of you."</p><p>"Mhm!" Satori unwraps his hold on the girl and lands a soft boop on her nose. "You're our manager. It's your job to take care of us and in return, we take care of you."</p><p>"You got that?"</p><p>[Name] smiles. "Loud and clear."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hey, uhm, I'm back ;w;)/ I'm really sorry for not updating for almost a month now. A lot of things happened throughout the past weeks (a.k.a school works, health problems, and a typhoon) but I'm now back and ready to pump out fresh chapters as I promised!</p><p>Updates will still be out every two weeks, on a Friday. There's no definite amount of chapters I can make along those two weeks so there could be a time that I would update twice in a row or none at all. If the latter does happen, I will give a heads up on my social media account (@atetiffdoesart on Twitter) beforehand. </p><p>I've also discovered the world of Tumblr during my lack of updates and I'm planning on crossposting there. As of the moment I only have this story out in Wattpad and Ao3 so if you see someone post this elsewhere, it wasn't me. Anyway, I might do some one-shots/asks on tumblr once I get the hang of their whole app and algorithm in general so if you have a Tumblr account, feel free to drop by!</p><p>Anyway, that's all! I just want to say thank you for still reading up to this point and see you in my next update!</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. I'm Sorry</h2></a>
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    <p>It's night time. Kei and Tadashi are now on their way home from a tiring afternoon of volleyball practice. They walk side by side under the clear, dark blue sky, as the moon light their way. A peaceful air hangs between the two but the green-haired boy thinks otherwise.</p><p>Tadashi's mind still lingers with questions about their peculiar [Color]-haired classmate and he can't seem to bring it up to his best friend. Every time he attempts to ask, he ends up stuttering or completely avoiding the topic as Kei's orbs send him sharp glares.</p><p>Of course, that doesn't mean that the blond isn't wondering about the same things as well. If anything, he had noticed his best friend's attempt to talk about her but he isn't ready yet. Familiar emotions would stir inside him whenever he remembers the blatant lies that left [Name]'s mouth, but at the same time, the fire in her eyes makes him interested in her more so.</p><p>"Spit it out, Yamaguchi, I know you're trying to bring something up." A sigh escapes Kei's lips. "If it's about [Name], I'm not going to entertain it."</p><p>"<em>Gomen</em> Tsukki, but..." Tadashi looks at him as he scratches the back of his head in a shy manner. "Don't you think you're too harsh on her?"</p><p>He raises a brow. "Why would I be nice to her in the first place?"</p><p>The green-haired boy purse his lips, unsure of how to respond. His best friend is right; why would they give pity on a person who seems to be masking her true identity? "I don't think she means to lie."</p><p>This time, Kei is the one to purse his lips. His gaze hardens as bitter memories bring up familiar yet unwanted emotions. A 'tsk' escapes his lips as he clicks his tongue in disapproval. "I don't give a single shit."</p><p>With that said, Tadashi just drops the topic. He knows how sensitive his best friend is about the whole case but still, he wonders about [Name]'s side. Maybe in due time, she'll reveal who she truly is.</p><p>Their walk becomes quiet after that. No one uttered a single word but it was comforting on both sides. It wasn't up until Tadashi bids good-bye to his best friend as they part ways, leaving Kei all alone with his thoughts. A hum escapes his lips as he puts his headphones onto his ears and plays his favorite song, not minding the scenery around him. Up until he walks past a convenience store and a familiar figure is inside. His brow quirks with curiosity. Maybe he'll buy a thing or two too inside the store.</p><p>Meanwhile, [Name] sits comfortably at one of the tables with Satori accompanying her. The redhead rests his chin on the palm of his hand as he listens intently to the girl's woes.</p><p>"To be honest, I didn't think Onii-chan would let you walk me home this time. You know how he is—always protective <em>and</em> assuming that I'm dating you." She giggles but her eyes remain dull. "It's kind of refreshing though—you being with me right now, I mean. Normally at hours like these, Onii-chan is carrying me behind his back while we talk about our days and have ice cream every now and then. The conversation isn't as productive as you'd think though. "</p><p>"Well, Wakatoshi-kun <em>is</em> a man of a few words." Satori hums. "Still, I think he's doing his best to listen and being the brother you needed. He's still scared that you'll leave again, y'know? Especially now, you transferred schools."</p><p>"Wow." An aching feeling rises to her chest. "I'm such a horrible sibling." She looks down as she intertwines her fingers and giving them a tight squeeze. "I would be lying if I say I transferred because I really like school. I did it because I do want to leave him behind, not because he's a terrible brother but he's Ushiwaka—the top 3 Ace in Japan and pro-athlete in the making—which makes me Utsui [Name], his little sister."</p><p>He tilts his head." Doesn't that make you proud?"</p><p>"Of course!" [Name]'s gaze snaps at him. "He and Dad are the reason why I wanted to play volleyball and take the same path as they do... but a part of me wants to be recognized as 'me' while I do so."</p><p>"Then why don't you? You're a great player, [Name]-chan, and you have a lot of people rooting for you. Stop avoiding opportunities just because you're afraid of what people tell you. You're awesome."</p><p>A sniffle escapes her lips before aggressively wiping away her forming tears." Thank you."</p><p>"I told you, didn't I? It's our turn to take care of you. So let us, okay?"</p><p>"I'm sorry," [Name] grumbles in between sobs as Satori pulls her into a tight hug, completely oblivious that Kei heard it all.</p><p>By morning though, the blond doesn't know how to respond if ever he and [Name] interact. He's sure that the chances are slim, especially after their feud, but somehow after hearing her soft sobs, he's somehow concerned about the possibility—much more so now that she just entered the room with a refreshing look on her face and is heading towards his seat.</p><p>"I know you hate me for lying and I get that. I don't expect you to forgive me and I won't ask you to be friends again but <em>here."</em> fishes something out of her bag and places it on his desk. Two neatly made bentos rests in front of him. "You're right, no one will get to know me if I keep lying to everyone and to myself. I get that now and I'm sorry for making a fuss, so please accept this apology bentos I made just for you and Tadashi."</p><p>"No," Kei replies as his hand now lay on top of the packed lunches. "You're not getting away that easily, especially after shoving me against the wall. You have to do better than just two packed lunches, unless that's all you can do, <em>chibi-chan</em>?"</p><p>[Name]'s eyebrow twitch in annoyance as the blond words lace with pure arrogance but somehow, she feels relief upon hearing his ever-so endearing nickname for her."Name your price. I'll do it."</p><p>He raises his brow, lips curling into a smirk. "Do anything and everything I ask you to just until Friday. No buts. No excuses. No running to Tadashi for help."</p><p>"Who's running to me for what help?" Tadashi asks in surprise as he sits himself to his seat. He had just arrived and he's clearly surprised to see [Name] and Kei talking to each other first thing in the morning.</p><p>"I'll do anything and everything he asks me to do." [Name] replies, completely convinced. What she didn't expect is the audacity of the tall, blond boy to abuse such power.</p><p>Nonsensical errands greet her left and right throughout the remaining days of the week. During lunchtime, Kei asked her to run around the cafeteria, buying things he doesn't even bother eating. He'd usually give it to Tadashi or let [Name] eat it herself before asking her to do another round of chores. There were times that she answered his homework despite being completely capable of doing it himself, while Tadashi scoffs at the whole ordeal. On Friday though, [Name] does all the after-school cleaning while the two boys sit back and relax. Their gold and green eyes watch her thoughtfully as she tires herself out.</p><p>"You seem to be in a rush, chibi-chan,"  Kei muses. "Can't wait to finish our deal already?"</p><p>"No," [Name] huffs as she stops on her track and blows a strand of hair. "I just need to go right now. It's late."</p><p>"You got a curfew, [Name]-chan?" Tadashi asks.</p><p>"Nope, I just need to be somewhere else right now." She pulls out her phone and checks the time. She's already half an hour late from training. Coach Tanji will make her do drills the moment she steps foot in their school gym. A sigh escapes her lips.</p><p>"If you're itching to go, just go," Kei grumbles as he stands up, hands in his pockets. "We'll finish the cleaning. Just go and fix yourself or something. You look like absolute shit."</p><p>"Gee, thanks." She rolls her eyes. "It's not like I had a very annoying classmate who kept on asking me for favors the whole week or so."</p><p>"Well, at least <em>you </em>don't have a liar of a classmate who seems to be hiding her full identity." He smirks.</p><p>"Touche." She squints. "Are you sure I can go?"</p><p>"Don't you want to leave?"</p><p>"I do!" [Name] jumps to her feet and scrambles to get her things. She quickly slings her bag over her shoulder and rushes to the doorframe, only to stop and bid good-bye to her two friends. "I'll get going then, Yamaguchi-kun, Tsukishima-kun!"</p><p>"You're not forgiven yet chibi-chan." Tadashi's curious gaze lands on his blond best friend as the statement escape Kei's lips. "See you tomorrow morning. Your friends better beat us at volleyball." </p><p>The girl stares in surprise at his words, only for her to return a gentle smile. "You bet. I'm sure Hinata-kun and Kageyama will beat your ass." She pauses to give the green-haired boy an apologetic smile. "That means you too, Yamaguchi-kun." </p><p>"No worries, [Name]-chan. It's not like our memberships are on the line unlike those two." Tadashi reassures. "But we'll beat them, just in case."</p><p>"Meanies. You two are meanies." She pouts.</p><p>"Says the girl who shoved me against the wall and started spewing bullshit on me," Kei smirks, taking a step forward to mock her.</p><p>She mimics his motion. "Says the guy who kept spewing bullshit to my friends."</p><p>He takes a step again. "Defending the tyrant king again, chibi-chan?"</p><p>"Hey, I told you not to call him that!" She huffs and steps forward. Their gaze clashes against each other and no doubt, the two will start fighting again if Tadashi steps in soon. So, he did. Taking a step forward to barricade the two from each other, he stretches his arms outwards.</p><p>"Hey now, let's not fight. You two just made up!" He scolds making [Name] giggle.</p><p>"No worries, Yamaguchi-kun. Pretty sure, this is the nature of my friendship with Tsukishima-kun by now. We'll probably never get along and just keep mocking each other to no end." A relief sigh escapes her lips after that. A soft expression lays on her face as the realization dawns over her. Finally, she has a friend who sees her and not her brother's shadow.</p><p>'<em>It feels nice,'</em> She admits in her head. '<em>Even if it means throwing banters and insults every single day.'</em></p><p>"You heard her, Yamaguchi." Kei mumbles as take a step back and turn on his heels. A soft expression lays on his face too, as he saw the girl's relaxed expression.  The corner of his lips even threatens to curl up into a small smile as he concludes [Name]'s true nature. Of course, he shrugs it off and proceeds to sweep the floor to distract his wistful thinking. "This room isn't going to clean itself, Yams. Let her leave. Her presence is annoying anyway."</p><p>With that said, the [Color]-haired girl bids good-bye to the two once more and leaves with a hopeful heart that maybe, <em>just </em>maybe, things would go well. Maybe she can finally be herself without being mindful of her brother's shadow looming over her?</p><p>'<em>Even better.</em>' She lifts her chin with a proud tone. '<em>I'll definitely outshine him.'</em></p><p>The thought lingers in her head as she walks to Shiratorizawa. Her mind remains afloat with every step she takes, not minding anything and everything around her. She didn't even notice the familiar figure that is exiting the gates of another powerhouse school up until she hits her head hard on his chest, completely snapping her out of her trance.</p><p>"I'm so sorry!" [Name] squeaks, immediately stepping back and bowing in apology.</p><p>"[Name]-chan? Is that you?" The smooth familiar voice causes her to flinch. "My, my, you've grown~!"</p><p>The young girl bites her tongue in order to hold back the overflowing curse words that are running through her head as she raises her head and locks eyes with the one and only, Tōru Oikawa.</p><p>The tall, slim male stands proud with one hand on his hips, while the other rakes through his dark brown locks. Same colored optics peering down. "Didn't know you changed schools. Finally tired of your brother, huh?"</p><p>"I have nothing to say to you Oikawa-san." Again, she gives a bow before walking past him. Of course, Tōru didn't give her the chance to as provocative words escape his sadistic lips.</p><p>"I'm talking to you, [Name]-chan. I don't know what Ushiwaka has been teaching you but I doubt he forgot to teach you some manners. Didn't he tell you that it's rude to walk past them when they're talking?" He sneers, making the girl stop in her tracks. "Did I hit a nerve there? Oh <em>sorry</em>."</p><p>"<em>Listen</em>, Oikawa-san." [Name] turns to face him but receives a flick on the forehead in the process.</p><p>"No, [Name]-chan, <em>you </em>listen." Tōru smiles brightly to mask his unseen rage. "Tell your brother that <em>we </em>are going to the Nationals. <em>We </em>are stronger than him, and more so, stronger than <em>you</em>. " He leans in to annoy her more. "Way, way more. You know why? Because unlike you, <em>we </em>actually train hard to get what we want while Ushiwaka serves it to you on a silver platter. So if I were you I'd scurry away from the volleyball scene before you make an embarrassment out of yourself. You got that?" </p><p>"Fuck you." She says through gritted teeth. Her hands shake in anticipation to grab ahold of the brunet's locks and give it a quick, hard pull. Maybe throw in a punch while she's at it.</p><p>Tōru only laughs. The one that completely resonates with his pure joy, at the same time hides his darkest intentions. [Name] had heard that laugh too many times while she and Tobio would hang out and ask him to mentor them in their early years in training. It was and still is atrocious.</p><p>Opening her mouth, she attempts to throw an insult on his way, only to stop when she hears another familiar voice and see his face.</p><p>"Oi, Shittykawa, where did you run off to?" Hajime scowls at his friend while a volleyball rests on the palm of his hand, ready to throw it at any moment. His eyes land on Tōru and easily recognizes the scowling girl. His gaze softens. "Oh, [Name]-chan. What are you doing here?" His gaze shifts to his friend. "What did you do this time, Shittykawa?"</p><p>"I didn't do anything," Tōru chirps. "[Name]-chan and I were just catching up, that's all."</p><p>"Is that true?" He raises a brow, in doubt, knowing well that his friend isn't really fond of Japan's Top three ace's sister.</p><p>"Yeah." [Name] simply dismisses. She knows that Hajime has her back but she isn't in the mood to hear their banters. All she wants to do right now is throw a couple of spikes against the wall or maybe practice some blocks with her brother's team—and that's what she exactly does after excusing herself and leaving the two boys behind.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Scars & Bruises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: controlling parent (mother), angst, (indirect) self-harm(?), curse words, Oikawa being scary (?)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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    <p>The next morning, [Name] wakes up with a horrible feeling. The aftermath of her outburst is taking a toll on her body as it aches with every move. A long, woeful groan, escapes her lips as she drags herself out of bed and heads downstairs to eat breakfast. She greets her mother in a groggy manner as she sits across the elder woman on the dining table. A frown lays on her lips.</p>
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      <span> "What are those in your arms, [Name]-chan?" Her mother asks with displeasure lacing her tone. "Did you play volleyball with your brother again?"</span>
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      <span>"What are you talking about, Okasan?" [Name] asks with brows knitted in confusion. Her mother isn't the type to concern herself on trivial matters like volleyball.</span>
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      <span>"Your arms," She hisses, causing the young girl to glance at her arms before gasping in pure horror. With wide eyes, she looks at her mother with panic.</span>
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      <span>"I can explain." Her voice is small, almost quiet with disbelief. She racks her mind with reasons why she let such a simple mistake slip off like that.</span>
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      <span>"What is there to explain, [Name]-chan? I thought I made it clear that you are to not disappoint me with these sporting shenanigans." Her mother huffs as she scolds her daughter with disgust and disbelief at her piercing gaze. "I can't believe you let yourself get your soft, gentle skin tainted by such a harsh sport. Your father should've raised you better by introducing you to more eloquent activities."</span>
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      <span>[Name] bites her inner cheek as she lowers her head in apology. "I'm sorry, Okasan. I'll tend to it immediately."</span>
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      <span>"Good. I'm glad you still remember what I taught you." Her mother hums in approval before dismissing the young girl to her room. Another long, woeful groan escapes her lips as she faces herself in the mirror. Stretching out her arms, the purple bruises that decorate her skin is now in full view. Memories of her play yesterday rewinds in her head, making her curse under her breath. Her unpleasant encounter with Tōru had led her to act without thinking of the consequences. She asked Coach Tanji, determined, to play in the practice game and take the role of middle blocker. She volunteered to play in Tsutomu's team and received her brother's powerful blows. Spikes after spikes, [Name] endures the stinging feeling in her arms to feed off of her troubles. In the end, their team loses and she's left with nothing but pieces of her woes scattered through her limbs. </span>
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      <span>'</span>
      <em>I should cover these up</em>
      <span>,' She thought as she lifts her arms and analyzes her mistake. Taking the bandages inside the medical cabinet in their bathroom, she settles down on her bed. She hides away her injuries through the cloth, hoping that it will please her mother's demands—and it did. Her mother didn't comment further on her well-being and invites her for breakfast. There, they converse about their previous days and catching up with one another's life. Her mother asks about her daughter's school and she replies in short, simple answers.</span>
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      <span>"I see. I hope you take interest in extra-curricular activities in school. I heard that taking part in the student council would be a good boost to your resume." She hums in suggestion before sipping her coffee.</span>
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      <span>"I don't know if I have time to take up another club, Okasan." [Name] replies. "Washijo-sensei wants me to stay dedicated to managing his team. He says I'm an important member too."</span>
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      <span>"Oh, so you're still taking part in Wakatoshi's volleyball team?" She scoffs. "That's fine, I guess. As long as you remain as their manager, I won't oppose but if I see you playing that sport again, you know what will happen. After all, I only agreed to this whole setup because it helps your brother focus on excelling in his field. I recommend you do the same once he graduates."</span>
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      <span> Nodding, the young girl watches as her mother stands up and excuses herself for the rest of the day. "I'll be visiting a friend this afternoon. I won't be back until later."</span>
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      <span>Again, she nods. "Alright then. Have a safe visit, Okasan."</span>
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      <span>Her mother gives a small wave in dismissal as she vanishes into her room, leaving [Name] to rush breakfast. She scurries to her own room to take a shower and throwing a simple hoodie and jeans combo as her outfit. Giving one final glance at the mirror, she tugs the ends of her sleeves and assures that her bandages aren't seen. She then heads off to her school to watch the practice game between her friends — as she promised. The sound of volleyballs against the wooden floor greets the young girl as she enters the school gym. Her [Eye Color] orbs scan the surroundings, looking for familiar faces in the process. She perks up as her gaze lands on Shōyō who is standing in the middle of the gym, giving her a huge smile and wave.</span>
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      <span>"[Name]-chan, hey!" The orange-haired boy approaches her with curiosity and anticipation. "What are you doing here? Are you going to watch us play?"</span>
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      <span>"She's here to watch you lose, actually." Kei pipes in from behind with a smirk on his face. His eyes gaze over to Shōyō and lean over in an attempt to tower over his opponent, before locking eyes with [Name]. "Am I right, chibi-chan?"</span>
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      <span>"Nope," She replies with a shrug. "I'm completely here to watch Hinata-kun and Kageyama beat your ass."</span>
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      <span>"Want to bet on it, chibi-chan?"[Name] smiles. The flame in her eyes lights up once again. "What's in it for me?" </span>
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      <span>A long, heavy sigh escapes Kei's lips as he feels a gentle tug on the hem of his sweater. He gazes down to check the cause and with an annoyed tone, he asks the girl beside him. "What do you want, chibi-chan?"</span>
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      <span>"I can't see the menu." [Name] looks up at him with sheer innocence, catching him off guard.</span>
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      <span> "What?"</span>
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      <span>"I said, I can't see the menu. You're blocking my view." She huffs, making the blond scoot over and blocks the view even more.</span>
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      <span>"Hey!"</span>
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      <span>"What's wrong chibi-chan? Can't see shit because you're too small?" He mocks.</span>
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      <span>"Aww, is Tsukishima-kun still being salty for losing the practice match?" She mocks back, causing an irked expression to etch on Kei's face.</span>
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      <span>"You know what? I'm buying you the kiddie meal." He declares before taking a step forward as the cashier calls out 'next'. The young blond greets the cashier up front with a soft smile before stating their orders. Another huff escapes [Name]'s lips as her classmate ignore her completely. </span>
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      <span> "Whatever." She murmurs before leaving the line to look for a table for them to sit on. Scanning through the fast-food chain they're in, she finds an empty spot near the door. As she takes a seat, she shivers at the cold breeze that brushes past her as new customers go through the entrance. She sneezes.</span>
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      <span>'It looks like it's going to rain soon</span>
      <span>.' She notes as her eyes gaze at the dark ominous sky, not noticing a familiar figure approaching her table.</span>
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      <span>"What a cute sneeze you have, [Name]-chan~" A cheerful voice greets her, making her eyes widen in surprise.</span>
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      <span>"Oikawa-kun." She glares at the brunet standing in front of her. Her words laced with venom.</span>
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      <span> Tōru instead gives her a wave and smiles."It's nice to see you again, [Name]-chan. What a coincidence to see you here." </span>
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      <span> She rolls her eyes. "What do you want, Oikawa-kun?"</span>
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      <span>"I wanted to say 'hi', that's all." He smiles. "Ushiwaka or Tobio-chan will appreciate it if they find out that we met today." </span>
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      <span>You're not going to get on my nerves if that's what you're aiming for." She huffs.</span>
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      <span>"Of course, it won't work. You're Ushiwaka's sister—Nothing could shake him so I can say the same thing for you." Tōru reaches out to ruffle her hair, which causes the girl to scowl. In response, he leans back on his chair and places his hand on the back of his neck. "We'll still defeat your team, though. Whether it's Shiratorizawa or Karasuno, we'll make sure to break your spirits—all three of you."</span>
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      <span>Shivers run down [Name]'s spine at the threat by the sudden intimidation but fades when the brunet wince in pain. He curses under his breath as his head snaps to look over behind him. "Hey! Who hit me in the head—" He gasps. "Iwa-chan?"</span>
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      <span>"Oi, Shitty-kawa, what do you think you're doing?" Hajime raises a brow with an irk expression on his face. "We told you not to run off while we're on a break. Do you want me to beat your ass?"</span>
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      <span>"Iwa-chan, so rude! I'm here with a </span>
      <span>friend</span>
      <span>." He replies, motioning towards the girl in front of him. "Friend?" The dark-haired boy's gaze shifts from his best friend to the girl he's sitting across from. His expression softens a bit at the sight. "Oh, hi, [Name]-chan."</span>
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      <span>"Hi, Iwa-kun." She gives a small wave. "I'm assuming you're here to take your friend back?"</span>
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      <span>He nods but Tōru pouts. "I don't want to go yet! [Name]-chan and I are still in a middle of a conversation." His eyes gaze on her [Eye Color] ones. "Right, [Name]-chan?"</span>
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      <span>"You're trying to scare the girl again, Shittykawa." Hajime hits his best friend on the head again. "Stop it and let's go. Coach is getting mad already."</span>
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      <span>"Fine." He whines before standing up. "See you again next week, [Name]-chan. Watch me crush Tobio-chan's soul." He grins before giving a final wave and walking away, leaving behind the young girl confused. Questions start to bubble inside her mind. Standing up, she calls out to the setter and attempts to go after him only to wince in pain as she feels a harsh grip on her arm.</span>
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      <span> "Hey!" [Name] pulls her bruised arm in instinct, hissing. "What's your problem?"</span>
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      <span>Kei raises a brow.</span>
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      <span>"Tsukishima-kun!" She gasps. "What are you doing here already? I thought you're ordering?" She laughs in a nervous manner, hiding away her arms in the process.</span>
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      <span>"I have our orders right here, dumbass." He lifts the tray in his hands to emphasize his point. "Where were you going anyway? I've been calling you a couple of times now."</span>
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      <span>"It's nothing, I thought I saw my friend walk past by." She replies with a shrug before taking a seat, glancing down on her feet while doing so. "What food did you get me?" She asks.</span>
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      <span>"A kiddie meal, like I said," He smirks, raising the packaged meal and giving a small jiggle. "I even told them to put in the smallest toy to match you. I should've asked them to put the most dishonest looking too."</span>
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      <span>"What does that supposed to mean?" She frowns while rubbing her arms in a cautious manner but the blond didn't comment. Instead, he places their meals down on the table and starts eating his meal.</span>
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      <span>[Name] only stares at him as she unboxes her meal in a cautious manner. Nuggets and fries greet her gaze causing her to sigh before chuckling at the toy accompanying it.  Pulling out the small crow keychain, a soft giggle escapes her lips. The toy's irked expression resembles the blond which makes her giggle even more. "You sure this crow resembles me, Tsukishima-kun?" She unwraps the toy and lifts the keychain for them to see. "Because right now, this little crow looks exactly like you without the glasses."</span>
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      <span>"I'm pretty sure you're the short angry one here, chibi-chan." He leans down to sip on his drink while the corner of his lips curls into a smirk.</span>
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      <span>She shrugs, brushing off the comment, and starts eating her own meal. Complete silence fills their table and it bugs Kei off. His brow furrows in deep thought, trying to analyze the situation that he saw earlier. It was clear that his classmate looks bothered when she was talking to the two boys from another school. The white and turquoise uniform lingers in his head, making him wonder what they would want from [Name].</span>
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      <span>"Isn't your brother from Shiratorizawa?" He can't help but wonder out loud which makes the young girl choke on her food.</span>
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      <span>"What are you talking about, Tsu-"</span>
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      <span>"I know you're Ushiwaka's little sister, dumbass. You're so obvious when you lie so Yamaguchi did some snooping. It wasn't that hard too." He shrugs. "[Name] Utsui is a big name in the female volleyball industry, huh?"</span>
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      <span> "What about it then?" Her shoulder slumps as a sad smile forms on her lips. "Are you going to ask me why I stopped playing or something because the answer there is simple: I don't want to anymore."</span>
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      <span>"Oh? He leans in and props his chin on the palm of his hand. "For someone who 'stopped' playing, your skills are still on point, chibi-chan. Tell me, how come can you still jump high and have quick reflexes if you stopped?"</span>
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      <span>"What do you want, Tsukishima-kun?" She hisses. "You're starting to piss me off."</span>
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      <span>"Did I hit a nerve there, chibi-chan?" He muses. "I want to piss you off right now so you can finally snap and tell me the truth. You know I despise liars." He pauses a bit, eyes observing the now frowning girl.</span>
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      <span>[Name] bites her inner cheek and squeezes her hand with unease. The mixed emotions inside her chest are getting heavier and heavier by the minute. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Tsukishima-kun but I'm heading home." She stands up and gives the blond a small nod before excusing herself. "I'll see you at school." Turning on her heel, she walks away.</span>
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      <span>Kei let out a 'tsk'. "Did those guys hurt you?"</span>
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      <span>[Name] stops in her tracks and shakes her head. Her lips tremble as she tries to plan a proper explanation without bursting into tears. Alas, she fails and ends up running out of the establishment in panic. '</span>
      <span><em>Fuck. Fuck. Fuck</em>.</span>
      <span>' She chants in her head as she looks for someplace to hide, but trips in the process. She hisses at her misfortune and if matters can get worse, the rain starts to pour down. Soft pitterpatters of raindrops turn into harsh drops, making [Name] completely soaking wet.</span>
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      <em>Great</em>
      <span>.' She groans, standing up and pulling her hood over her head. '</span>
      <span><em>This day is the peachiest</em>.</span>
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      <span>A sniffle escapes her lips as she finds shelter in a nearby waiting shed and there she let herself crumble. Tears flow down her cheeks as her lips quiver from the cold. Her soft whimpers turn into full-on sobs and cry out her woes, not noticing the blond in front of her. A frustrated and worried look etched on his face.</span>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally updated! yay! :'D</p>
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